Heart Shaped Pancakes
by Durotos
Summary: The thought of getting dolled up to dance with boys makes Ann want to vomit. At the promise of some Thanksgiving chocolate, our valiant heroine sallies forth. "I guess it won't be so bad… But do I really still have to wear this stupid dress?" Written for the Village Square One Word Prompt "Childhood".


The melody of a metal whisk scraping against the sides of his stainless steel bowl rang through Doug's ears, the theme song of breakfast time. He ladled the batter onto the griddle into his signature heart shape and listened as the chorus of sizzling pancakes filled the room.

Holidays were always a busy time at Doug's Inn. The inhabitants of Mineral Town loved to have someone else cook for them on special occasions, and as the sole eatery in town, this meant a lot of customers. Doug didn't mind, though; he had enjoyed cooking from a very young age and he loved visiting with his regulars and catching up on goings on in town.

He rolled the sausages on the griddle and they let out squeaks as he turned them, their juices running onto the hot surface and sputtering as they boiled into nothingness. One squeal was a bit louder than the rest and he didn't think much of it until he heard the pounding footsteps of his eleven-year-old daughter down the hallway between their living quarters and the kitchen. She stepped into the room in her pajamas, a scowl on her face as she thrust a wad of pastel blue fabric in his face.

"What is _this_?!" She stomped angrily and held the edges of the cotton, revealing a simple dress with a white sash. "And where are my _clothes_ – my _real_ clothes?!" Her face was a threatening shade of burgundy as she let out a shriek in exasperation. Her closet had been bare that morning except for the offensive garment.

Doug simply let out a sigh in response. "You can wear your overalls tomorrow, Ann. Today I want you to dress nice for Spring Thanksgiving. They'll be having that party in the square, you know."

"I don't care! I'm not going!" Ann sulked, tossing the dress on a hook and donning an apron on top of her pajamas instead. Grabbing a spatula and flipping a few pancakes, she giggled with delight at the festive shapes.

Her laughter stopped immediately when he snatched the utensil from her and folded his arms across his chest. "You spend too much time in this kitchen. You need to go out and spend some time with your peers."

Doug had been in the kitchen as long as he could remember. Smoke often poured from his mother's workshop followed by a string of swears. While she was a clumsy inventor, she did what she loved and Doug had nothing but respect for her. So deep was his admiration that he named his first and only child after her.

When asked to cook dinner on occasion, he had been more than happy to help out. With two busy parents, he had been quickly delegated as the cook of the household. Luckily, it was something that he had a natural talent with, unlike his mother. He ignored the teasing he got from the other boys in town; they were all hoping to be firefighters, police officers, and doctors. He had grown up with the dream of cooking for a living, and he had been fortunate enough to achieve it. Doug would never forgive himself if Ann became confined to this kitchen, unable to discover what it was she loved to do as the daily grind bogged down on her.

"Spend time with my peers? Who fed you that line?" Ann scoffed, glaring at him as she furrowed her brow. "Was it Mary's mom? Or maybe Karen's dad?"

Unfortunately, Ann had been blessed with her grandmother's bluntness. Her words had cut him deeply. He drew himself up to his full height and looked at her sternly. "You are to put on that dress and go to that party!" He pointed toward her room and she sulked, dragging the garment on the floor behind her.

He let out a sigh and buried his face in his hand after she left; he was certain that this command to any other girl in town would have them leaping for joy. His eyes drifted toward the yellowed photograph taped to the refrigerator. The portrait featured him and his wife smiling at the camera, holding a baby Ann swaddled in a blanket. A bit of red fuzz adorned the top of the infant's head and it was amazing how similar yet different Ann looked from her former self. Doug's fingers traced the image of his wife, his gaze lingering on her beautiful strawberry blonde tresses and bright eyes. Losing her when their daughter was only a toddler, Ann had never had much of a mother's influence. Doug couldn't help but wonder if he was doing an adequate job raising her all by himself.

"Oh, Felicity, I'm trying my best with her – I really am…"

0o0o0o0

Ann sat behind the bar, swinging her feet from the tall stool as she huffed and puffed in frustration. She stood up and reached for a stack of empty plates, but her father lightly pushed her out of the way.

"You're going to get your dress all dirty before the party."

She groaned in response. "I don't _want_ to go!" The girl hoisted herself back onto the stool and folded her arms across her chest. "Why can't I stay here and help you?"

"Because you need to spend time with the other kids; you work far too much for a girl your age… Gray's family checked in earlier this morning."

Ann's ears perked up. The local blacksmith's grandson visited Mineral Town several times a year from the city and the two children had reached honorary sibling status. "I guess it won't be _so_ bad… But do I really still have to wear this stupid dress?"

"Yes." When he was given a melodramatic whine in reply, he turned toward her, putting a large dollop of whipped cream on top of a piece of pie and sliding it toward one of the patrons. "There will also be plenty of chocolate, don't forget."

The bar door creaked open and some of the local children had come to pick her up. His words seemed to soothe her worries a bit. She sprang to her feet. "I'm gonna eat _sooo_ much!"

He shook his head as she bounded out the door; Ann had definitely inherited her mother's appetite.

0o0o0o0

"Do you think that we will get chocolates from any of the boys?" Popuri's voice quavered as Karen led the way for them.

"What are you talking about? I already gave you some." Rick rolled his eyes at her and groaned, fussing with the awkward bow tie his mother had selected for him.

"That's not what I meant!" his sister shot back. He was waiting for her to say that brothers didn't count, but the words that came out were much sharper. "I meant chocolate from an _actual real_ boy!"

"Hear that, Rick? You're not a real boy!" Karen gave him a violent jab in the ribs and his face went pale.

Ann lagged behind. Her female friends had been talking about boys nonstop lately and she couldn't help but feel a bit exhausted by the whole thing. Normally, she blocked it out just fine, but as the day of this party got closer, the talking had increased. A couple of times she had even tried changing the subject to something far less dull. Her friends simply looked at her in confusion and continued their conversation, much to her dismay.

As far as she was concerned, boys were simply friends that weren't embarrassed at burping or passing gas in front of each other and they didn't care about getting dirty. This was something she saw as refreshing, as she was beginning to notice she behaved a lot different from Karen and Popuri. Her female friends had begun experimenting with light makeup and wearing undergarments that she didn't really require yet. Ann had no interest in these things and was starting to wonder if there was something wrong with her. Even her father seemed keen on pushing her in that direction; after all, he had gotten pretty upset when she didn't want to wear the dress. She looked back toward the direction of the inn longingly, letting out a small sigh.

"Well, Dad says that I'm a responsible young man, so that's even better," Rick replied with a smirk. "He's even started to train me on incubating, so how about that?"

He had obviously struck a nerve; his sister had been given no instructions on how to tend to the poultry farm. Popuri folded her arms across her chest and stuck her nose in the air. "What good is that if you can't attract a girl? Hey, Ann, isn't your cute friend supposed to be in town? I hope I get chocolate from him!"

Ann made a loud gagging noise. "Gray? _Cute_? That's gross!" Still, she would be happy to chow down on a candy bar from him if he gave her one.

"Oh, come on! He's older than the other boys, so that gives him a certain _allure_ ," Karen admitted, running a few fingers through her long hair. It was likely Popuri's shadowing of an older girl like her had made the girl so interested in boys, and the romantically fascinated Elli didn't help things.

Ann was more than happy to shatter this mirage they had created. "We stay up late reading comic books and eating junk food. Sometimes we have belching contests, and once he burped so hard he threw up!" She let out a chuckle at the memory. Sure, it had been disgusting, but he had weakly punched her in the arm as punishment and they had a good laugh about it only moments later, critiquing the color of the puddle of vomit as if it were a fine work of art.

"That's nasty," Popuri cringed, turning her face into an exaggerated frown. "Boys don't do that! … _Do_ they?"

Rick stifled a snicker and his sister nudged him in the ribs. It wasn't long until they reached their destination.

"I'm so glad you're here!" a sweet voice exclaimed as a girl hurried over to them, holding up the hem of her long pink dress. She suddenly slowed down her walking, as if remembering it was undignified behavior in such formal wear.

"Elli, your dress is so pretty! Mom wouldn't let me wear something that nice; I got stuck with this awful thing," Popuri whined, gesturing weakly toward her own outfit – a simple but cute yellow dress.

"Oh, you look fine," Karen interjected, ruffling Popuri's hair. She earned a sulk in response and both girls straightened their posture, remembering the setting.

Elli turned toward Ann. "My parents just headed over to your dad's place for lunch. I bet you're feeling lucky to have the day off, huh?"

The redhead folded her arms across her chest and fruitlessly fought back a frown as the group continued to talk. Her statement couldn't be further from the truth. Her spirits rose as she saw a familiar friend by the snack table. "Gray!" She jogged over to him and gave him a punch on the shoulder in greeting.

He let out a small laugh and returned the gesture. "It's been a while, huh?"

It seemed as if he had grown another few inches since winter and she had to look up at him a bit for their eyes to meet. She appreciated the fact that although he was around four years her senior, he never treated her like a little kid. After all, she could throw rocks just as far, burp just as loud, and tell great jokes. He dug his hands into his pockets, flicking his overgrown red hair out of his eyes with a violent cock of the head. "I can't believe Mom and Dad made me dress up for this." His dress shirt was rebelliously untucked and he had loosened his tie out of spite.

She gave a nod in agreement. "I hate dresses. At least you get to wear pants."

He gave a shrug. "Huh, I guess you're right… Well, I've been here for an hour and I'm bored out of my mind."

"Well, is the food at least good?"

"The cheese dip is alright. I just wanna go home. I wanted to go over to Kasey's this weekend. We were gonna have a video game marathon."

She was trying her best to stay cheerful, but Gray was making it hard. "Well, we can play video games later in my room." It was one of their favorite things to do together, especially along with Doug, and Ann appreciated that neither of them ever went easy on her. That being said, her friend could stand to be less sore of a loser.

He let out a sigh. "Okay." He looked out in the middle of the square and rolled his eyes at the children all seated awkwardly in stiff-backed chairs along the edge. Mayor Thomas was tapping his hand on his leg to the beat of the music, humming slightly off-key. Gray cocked his head to the side, the curtain of his long bangs opening a bit for him to observe, and what he saw he did not like. "This party sucks ass."

Ann let out a small gasp. While she liked to get into shenanigans with her friend, swearing was a new development. She wasn't sure whether to giggle or be horrified. "I can't believe you just said _ass_!" Her eyes popped open as she clapped her hands over her mouth in mortification. She looked around in quiet horror, afraid that one of the adults would grab her by the ear and take her down to the church and tell the priest. There was also the more terrifying option that they would notify her father.

As he patted her shoulder, a small smirk played at the corner of Gray's mouth. "Walk with me."

0o0o0o0

 _Be Back in Ten_

Doug had taped the handwritten note to the door of the inn and made his way to the square to pick up his daughter. If the party looked lively enough, he might grab a quick snack. However, it was mid-afternoon and he was going to need to prepare for the dinner rush. He arrived at his destination, but he didn't see Ann anywhere.

Surely she wouldn't have run off… Or would she? Doug's eyes scoured the square. Mayor Thomas was standing beside his record player next to a very glum-looking Harris. Doug felt for the poor boy; he hadn't been the same since his girlfriend left home without any warning. The only other person his age was Joanna and she was busy dipping a little too heavily into the adult punch bowl. The parents were seated in their own little groups, more interested in socializing than participating in the activities.

No one was dancing except for Gotz and his lovely wife, Hilda. Their daughter, young Mila, was sitting on the cobblestones, her dress fanned out on the ground as she bobbed her head to the beat of the music. As always, the couples' faces radiated with joy as they gazed into one another's eyes. Gotz wasn't the most graceful dancer, but seeing him enjoy the company of someone he loved so deeply more than made up for his missteps. It caused Doug to miss Felicity a little. He could almost still see her in the kitchen, twirling and humming as she sampled from the pots and pans Doug was cooking with. He'd lightly scold her for snacking on food before it was ready, and they would always agree that a playful kiss would be a fair payment in exchange for the stolen food. He was certain she made sure she got caught every time.

He finally saw Ann and Gray perched on the brick wall behind Anna and Sasha, both precariously dangling strands of saliva from their mouths above the unsuspecting women below. Doug's eyes flashed dangerously at them and Ann looked up at her father in surprise, sucking back up the strand of spit, shaking Gray's shoulder. In his surprise, his strand broke and fell heavily onto the top of Anna's head. Ann let out a surprised squeak and jumped down the back of the partition, grabbing Gray with her as they fell clumsily.

Doug stormed across the square, oblivious to a confused Anna who was touching the damp spot on her head and curiously looking at the sky for rainclouds. He found Ann pulling a stiff Gray to his feet. They began dusting themselves off behind the wall and Doug immediately started into them.

"What in the _world_ were you thinking?!" He let out a further groan in exasperation at seeing the grass stains and dirt on Ann's dress. "And how did Gray manage to get up there?" The boy had sustained a harsh accident when he was younger and it had taken away quite a bit of his nimbleness. Even as the years had passed, his knee still gave him trouble from time to time.

She clenched her fists and her cheeks turned red, horrified that her father had said anything on the matter. "I helped him up. Goddess, Dad! He's not helpless!"

At this, Gray hid beneath his shaggy hair, keeping his gaze focused on the ground. He struggled to get up to his feet and slowly backed away, tucking his hands in his pockets and slouching his shoulders.

Doug caught him by the elbow. "Just a moment, mister! I think your parents would like to know what you've been up to!"

Gray gulped and stood frozen on the spot.

How hard was it to go to a party and behave? Ann acted as if it was punishment to attend social events. Doug shook his head at them, disappointed. "I honestly don't know what has gotten into the both of you!"

There was an awkward silence that Ann broke with a cry. "I told you I didn't want to come here, Dad!"

"What happened?" His eyes darted toward a group of giggling young girls. "Were the other girls teasing you?" He figured this might be likely, as she didn't act or attempt to look like them. She was probably staying near Gray for emotional support. His eyes shifted between the two children, waiting for some kind of response.

She shook her head emphatically, a little hurt that he had come to this conclusion. "Are you saying there's a reason why they _should_?" Her voice quavered as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Of course not!" Doug was taken aback, surprised at her aggression. "Well, why aren't you spending time with them?"

"It's not about _them_!" she spat, shaking her head so furiously that her braid wiggled behind her. "I wanted to spend today with you back in the kitchen!"

He said nothing in response to this. "Run along, Gray, and behave. I'll be talking with your parents later."

The teenager gulped and nodded silently, nearly jogging as he hurried back to the square. Ann sighed; if only she were so lucky…

Doug frowned, his eyebrows unfurrowing. "Ann, I want you to have a happy childhood, full of new experiences." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing would make me happier than to let you discover what it is _you_ want to do."

She could hold her anger in no longer. Shrugging his hand off of her shoulder, Ann took a step back. "Well, I sure as heck didn't want to come to this awful party!" She stamped her foot in the grass, balling her hands into fists. The girl caught her breath for a moment, unclenching her jaw and relaxing her body. The anger slowly evaporated from her being and sadness was all that remained. "All I wanted was to be in the kitchen and help you make heart-shaped pancakes. I wanted to watch you juggle eggs and laugh when you always end up dropping one by mistake… I... w-wanted to lick the spatula when we finished decorating the Thanksgiving cookies together for the guests… An'… I-I… I wanted to slap you with the wet dish t-towel…" She wiped her runny nose with the sleeve of her dress as the tears tumbled out of her eyes. "Y-you… always make… these st-stupid, squeaky, girly screams…" She was half-crying and half laughing, shuddering with sobs.

In any other instance, he would have laughed at this final statement, but instead he felt his own eyes welling with tears. She had pleaded to stay by his side all day, genuinely wanting to spend time with him, and he had only pushed her away in his ignorance. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he flew to her and put his arms around her, hugging her to his chest. "Oh, Ann…"

"Pl-please… I w-want to… I just want to go _home_ …" Ann broke into a sob and Doug could immediately feel his shirt dampen. He held her tighter, his own tears threatening to spill.

"Then let's go home," he whispered, stroking her hair. "There's still plenty of holiday left." He gave her a kiss on the top of her head and wiped away a stray tear from his own face. "And we can have our towel battles. I can even give you the advantage of having one for each hand."

Ann let out a congested giggle, a twitching smile spreading across her face. "Honestly, Dad, I think _you_ need the handicap. You kinda suck ass."

"WHAT?!"

 _ **0o0o0o0**_

 _ **Author's Note: Never a dull moment with these two, eh? I couldn't help myself! I also couldn't help myself from making Gray go through an emo/punk rock phase in his teens; he's so fun to embarrass. And now all I can see is him as a younger version of Iori from the King of Fighters series, haha. Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed! I'd love to hear what you think! :)**_


End file.
